April Showers Bring a Crazy May

April Showers Bring a Crazy May

I cannot believe it’s almost May. It’s almost May, and I have hardly started my April. It’s almost May, and we have a ton of work to do in the next few weeks!

We have had April showers, too. Wow, thank goodness last week brought sunshine, it was starting to look and feel like 2013 again. Farmers can deal with drought, but excessive rain is actually a much more serious problem. As it stands, most people are a little behind with spring crops, and also behind planting. We’re talking weather issues here, we have them every year.

So, May, end of school on the horizon, new crops arrive, gardens swing into full gear, and the days get warm. At HCFM, we have a very full plate. I wanted to share a few big things with you:

Seasonal Additions: May starts shrimping season, so expect Shem Creek to return to the market. Strawberries will continue for most of the month, and depending upon the weather, we may see early peaches later in May. Other vegetables will start arriving soon, also. Each week should bring more produce, and more vendors. We’ve also had two more meat vendors ask about joining the market. We will also see new value-added and prepared food vendors at the market, including organic granola, and some new local artists at the market.

May 5 Fundraisers: May 5 is Support Spartanburg County Day, a huge day for many of us nonprofits in Spartanburg. The Spartanburg County Foundation is spearheading the effort (have you seen the 20 billboards around town?), and we hope you will take that time to support HCFM and your other favorite local do-gooders.

We also are having our second “Dine and Donate” event at The Farmer’s Table that day. A portion of all the proceeds that day will come back to HCFM.

May 11 Cribbs Kitchen Burger Cook-off: the 2nd annual burger cook-off will feature HCFM as a contestant, and we’re going local! Come out and support a great event, and see just how delicious a local burger can be. Proceeds from this event will support the Children’s Security Blanket.

May 15 Golf Tournament: our first “Barn-Raising” golf tournament is really coming together. We hope you will start your weekend early and join us at Heddle’s Hideaway for a day of golf and doing good for the local food system. We have beer, bbq, and lots of golf for you. Details here.

Farmer-Chef Connection: the date and location are TBD, but we anticipate the next farmer-chef meeting to be held the 3rd week of May. These meetings are key to increasing markets for local farmers, as well as increasing the amount of local food available at retail and restaurants locally.

Northside Harvest Park Events: look for free concerts Wednesdays from the “Voices from the Front Porch” series, plus weddings, parties, and fundraisers. We are so excited people are discovering our wonderful new home! If you want to use Harvest Park for your special event, please click here.

Plus much more to come . . .

The market continues to grow and evolve, look for new events at the market, new items, new small businesses, and new farmers. In June, we roll out our Wednesday lunch markets on Wall Street, and of course, the Mobile Market just keeps on across Spartanburg.

We thank you for your support, and hope you will join us for these events. We appreciate the great patronage, donor support, and all the willingness to partner with us to increase the supply, demand, and access to healthy, local food in Spartanburg!